


And that was more than enough

by inoue6



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Injury, Bromance, Drowning, Friendship, Gen, Hurt Jaskier | Dandelion, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Pre-Slash, Sick Character, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:35:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22215676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inoue6/pseuds/inoue6
Summary: After Geralt says too much in anger Jaskier storms off into the forest. Will that decision cost him his life? Will Geralt save his friend in time?-----------------Or: I wanted to whump my poor lovely Jaskier and see how can I torment Geralt with guilt
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 9
Kudos: 409





	And that was more than enough

**Author's Note:**

> So this fic was made because I was totally melting in that djinn episode at concerned Geralt but wanted to take the concept a bit farther. I wrote it with TV characters in mind but it's not fixed. Also can be read as pre-slash or just friendship. Oh, and it's not beta-read and English is not my first language so excuse any mistakes. Let me know what you think ❤️

Jaskier's scream brought Geralt back to reality. The voice he heard was filled with terror but it seemed distant, even to Witcher's heightened senses. Geralt was sharpening his silver sword when he heard his friend's voice and in an instant was on his feet, ready for battle. His anger after their argument a moment ago evaporated instantly and worry took it's place. 

"Jaskier!" Geralt shouted and followed direction from which he heard that blood-curdling scream. His hearing picked up birds chirping, a single fox hunting in the woods and an indistinguishable rustling in the lake nearby. "Damn it, Jaskier. What have you gotten yourself into this time?" Geralt spoke under his breath, running towards the lake. The forest dissappeared and Witcher found himself by the swampy shore where he was suddenly ambushed by a large pack of drowners. The fraction moment of surprise dissappeared instantly and Geralts instincts kicked in. He was glad he worked on his silver sword, had he been sharpening the other one he wouldn't be able to react properly. With swiftness and great balance he danced his sword dance and got rid of monsters pretty quickly.

Geralt already knew what has happened to Jaskier, considering he was nowhere to be found. While calculating his and Jaskier's chances of getting out of there alive, Witcher tossed his sword aside, drew a small silver dagger from his boot and without hesitation he jumped into the lake.

The water was extremely murky, even Geralt's cat-like eyes were nearly useless in the muddy water, freshly stirred by the drowners. Going only by the touch, Geralt started to feel the bottom of the lake. It took him two trips to the surface and back to finally feel Jaskier's limp arm. Feeling the rest of his body, Witcher wrapped his arm around the younger man's chest and with all his might he started kicking to get out of the water. When their heads broke the surface, Geralt coughed and sputtered water from his lungs but Jaskier stayed terrifyingly still. 

"Hang on...damn you Jaskier hang on!" Witcher raised his voice, knowing deep down that his words fell on deaf ears. They found themselves on the deep water but not far from the shore. Geralt had a firm grip on his friend but it was hard to keep their both heads above the water. Still Witcher was pressing forward. 

Suddenly Geralt was violently pulled back under the water. He let go of his friend and started to struggle while downers sharp nails clawed at his legs. Good thing he still had his silver dagger in the other hand because he started blindly hacking at the monster pulling him down the deep dark water. He must've injured the creature because it let go and left him alone. Geralt knew Jaskier couldn't be far so he dove straight under and quickly found his friend floating around a meter from him. Witcher's lungs burned and screamed for oxygen, his heartbeat rapidly racing in spite of his mutations but he pushed himself to the limits and fished out his friend once again.

This time he managed to get to the shore without any problems and dragged Jaskier's limp body out of the water. Witcher brushed away wet strands of muddy hair from younger men's brow to take a better look at him. Jaskier's usually rosy cheeks were deathly pale and his constantly talking lips were blue and unmoving. Geralt knew he had to get rid of the water in bards lungs so he pried open his mouth pressed hard on his abdomen a few times. The amount of water in his lungs could fill a small wash basin but after a few tries there was nothing to expel. "Don't you die on me, you hear me?! You selfish fucker! I'll fucking kill you if you won't start breathing. Yet Jaskier was still, not a single muscle moving so Geralt did the only thing he could do: he started breathing for the bard. 

Geralt so often wished that destiny would take Jaskier off his hands but now that it did permanently, he regretted it wholeheartedly. He wished those lips would talk him to death, those hands play pleasant tunes while they had a rest by the fire. He would never admit it to Jaskier but he had a decent voice and a real talent to play the lute. He also had an ability to get himself into trouble quite regularly. And somehow between the jealous husbands, angry mobsters he owed money to and bandits on the road, he managed to get himself killed because of Geralt. Because he wasn't a good friend to the bard and said hurtful things that made Jaskier storm off into the woods. The guilt in The Witcher was getting bigger and bigger with each breath, made him push on Jaskier's chest harder and harder each time he pumped his heart to the point of hearing a sickly crack when one of the ribs broke. 

Geralt was aware of his own wounds as drowners clawed at his leg leaving slashes that would surely get infected if he won't drink Golden Oriole potion immediately. They both were fighting time itself to escape the clutches of death, however Jaskier's fight was fully dependent on the man who got him into this mess.

Seemed as bard was determined to live as he suddenly took a small yet sharp breath. Geralt stopped in his tracks, observing Jaskier's chest and face. Just as the monster slayer was about to resume breathing even though he was getting weaker, Jaskier took another small breath and then another. Bard started to cough violently, seemingly forgot how to breath normally. Witcher put a hand on his friend's chest and started to calm him down with reassuring words, surprising himself. "Hey easy, long deep breaths, we're not safe yet" Geralt said and watched his friend closely.

Geralt's silver sword was laying a few meters from them, so he retrieved it from where he dropped it. When going back to unconscious Jaskier his gaze fell on a red stain forming on bard's leg. He thought that the metalic scent of blood was his own yet he was stupid enough not to check if drowners hadn't slashed Jaskier. And they did. "Fuck" he cursed and decided it was time to go back to their camp or they would both bleed out. His pants were ripped, so Witcher tore a slim strip and tightly tied it just above Jaskier's wound as a tourniquet. The bard moaned and stirred from the pain, still unconscious. With a heavy sigh Geralt picked up Jaskier from the ground, his friend laying limp in his arms but this time breathing, though heavily.

It took him 15 minutes to get back to the campsite despite previously taking only 5 to run to the lake, but finally they arrived back in the camp. Campsite was quiet, the fire was still burning and Roach was tied to the tree exactly where she's been for last hour. Beside a log where Witcher was sharpening his blade laid an abandoned whetstone he was using. He was probably gone for half an hour at most, yet it felt like an eternity.

Geralt gently laid down his friend on his bedroll and went to retrieve the potions. Two Golden Orioles, one for each of them plus Kiss and Swallow for Jaskier, who needed any help he could get. This is gonna cost the bard, The Witcher will make sure to squeeze out some orens from him. When he knelt by his friend, Jaskier was breathing heavily, covered in sweat and pale from the blood loss. Geralt slid a hand under the other man's head and tilted it upwards a little bit so the bard wouldn't choke on the potions. When his hand touched younger man's nape he immediately felt immense heat radiating from his companion. Geralt gently forced medicine fown Jaskier's throat and fortunately his innate reflexes were properly working and he swallowed Witcher's elixirs without help. 

After they both drank necessary potions to at least live another day it was time to tend to their wounds. Witcher knew he lost some blood, however not as much as his friend, due to his heartbeat being slower than a normal human being. Thus he decided to take care of Jaskier first and then he could focus on himself. Geralt had to stitch himself up many times after monster hunting, he was very familiar with thread and a needle, always carrying some in his bag. Roach huffed and nudged Geralt when he approached her so he responded, knowing well what his horse meant. "I won't let him die" he assured the animal, but somehow it also assured himself, even if he was in denial.. 

Witcher was very proficient with needle, but before he stitched Jaskier, he disinfected the wound by pouring some whiskey into the gash and downing the rest himself. Bard stayed silent, too silent for his liking throughout the whole process but it was understandable, Jaskier's fever was high and he was delirious. Geralt also had to remove his clothes as they were soaked in stinky drowners water. Jaskier didn't resist being undress, in this state he wouldn't be able to object to anything.

So there lied Julian Alfred Panktatz, Viscount de Lettenhove, the mighty Bard Jaskier in his underwear, burning with high fever being taken care of by Butcher of Blaviken, his only friend, who saved his life. Some would call it irony, some would call it destiny, Jaskier would write a song about it. But truth be told it was just a friendship. Pure, weird, tangled friendship of the two most unlikely and polarizing people that walked the earth. And that was more than enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Ps. I totally forgot that Witcher potions are toxic for humans, for the sake of continuity let's all pretend that Geralt didn't let Jaskier drink it all, just a tiny amount to help xD 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me till the end! I really hope you liked it. Leave a comment if you enjoyed it, I'd greatly appreciate it ❤️


End file.
